The Beginning of the End
by Moonlit Dreaming
Summary: A student is injured on New Year's Eve, leaving Salazar angry and forcing Helga to stand up to the man she longs for... hints of Helga/Salazar. Founders Era. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter, to the surprise of nobody reading this, is not mine.

**Note: **I started writing this on New Year's Eve with the aim of publishing it as a New Years oneshot. Sadly, though, revision consumed my time almost immediately after and I've only just finished my exams. Still, we're only a week or so into January so it still counts... right? In any case, enjoy! It's a bit of a dark/angsty one this...

The Beginning of the End

It was the night before the beginning of a new year and snow had fallen thickly over Hogwarts Castle. The halls were dark and quiet; many students had returned to their homes for the winter break and would not return for a few more days. Some of the poorer children had remained at the school and were treated to a feast in the Great Hall.

Helga always saved her best recipes for this time of year. The tables were piled high with honey roasted vegetables, meat stews and winter berry tarts.

"Magnificent, Helga," Godric said, tipping his goblet in a toast. The hall rang with laughter and celebration.

Helga smiled. "Thank you. Though your compliments should really be reserved for the house elves – they did the real work." As she said this, she overheard Salazar tutting behind her back. "Pardon, Salazar?" she demanded, turning to him.

"Well, I don't know. Praise for dumb creatures? They're only following instructions." He smirked into his goblet of wine. "Anyone could do it."

Godric and Rowena merely raised their eyebrows, but neither spoke. Helga's cheeks burned crimson. "I would like to see you bake a blackberry tart, Salazar," she said, "with only basic instructions to go by. Forgive me, but I cannot imagine that you are a particularly competent baker."

His pale eyes flashed. "You know me, Helga, I never shrink from a challenge."

The four founders lapsed into silence as they watched their students enjoying themselves. The sky that shone through the enchanted ceiling was sprinkled with stars – the previous snow storm had cleared. Midnight drew near and the room was filled with cheers. Slowly the students drifted from the hall back to their dormitories leaving the founders alone at the High Table. Salazar's comments had not soured the evening too greatly. He often made them – such was his nature – but they were relatively harmless. As the four friends stood up and began to bid each other good night and a happy new year, one of Rowena's students came pelting into the hall.

"What on earth has happened?" she demanded running to him.

The boy was breathless and pale. "Sorry Professors, but you must come quickly. There's – there's been a duel."

"A duel?" Godric asked, at the same time as Helga cried, "Is anyone hurt?"

Nervously, the boy nodded. "I think so. One of your students was involved, miss," he told Helga. "And one of yours, sir." All eyes turned to Salazar, whose face formed a carefully impassive expression. Helga, though, looked stony. Relations between her and Salazar were already slightly fraught.

Rowena looked to her student. "Lead the way," she said.

* * *

Matilda Braddock was levitated to the Hospital Wing unconscious and soaked in her own blood. Helga fretted and muttered potential healing spells under her breath for the entire journey. Her student had been injured – and a student of Salazar's, sixteen year old Fendrel Marson, was responsible. Her mind raced and the mixture of rich food and wine from the feast swirled sickeningly in her stomach. Salazar and his student walked side by side in silence, a few paces behind the main group.

"Lay her here," Godric instructed Rowena, pointing to a bed. _"Incendio! Incendio!" _He lit the lamps in the Hospital Wing, throwing the long room into soft focus.

Helga leant over the young girl, brushing her fair hair off her face. Matilda's eyes were half-closed and her head rolled to the side. "What _spell_ is this?" Helga whispered. Beneath the girl's ribcage, stretched a deep, clean wound that traditional healing spells could not staunch.

Rowena leaned over her friend's shoulder, tracing the injury with her finger. She frowned. "I would hazard that it is dark magic... a curse. Notice the black tinge to the skin?"

Bile rose in Helga's throat and she turned helplessly to Godric and Salazar. "Tell me, please tell me, that you two haven't been teaching this in duelling lessons?"

"Have you taken leave of your senses?" Godric demanded, his tone one of deep offence. "We've been teaching no such thing, have we, Salazar?"

"No, of course not."

Helga's eyes bored into Salazar's calm pale ones. He faced her silently. "Then where," she asked, "did your student learn such a spell?"

Attention swung towards Salazar and his student, who stood beside his mentor with his head bowed. "I think, Helga, that I need to discuss the matter with my student," he said silkily. "It is certainly not a spell I am familiar with and I don't appreciate the insinuation that I would have taught it to a Hogwarts student."

A strained silence followed, broken only by Matilda Braddock's ragged breathing. At last, Godric spoke up. "I'll accompany Master Marson back to my office," he said. "He can wait there until we arrange a suitable reprimand."

"One moment." Helga jumped to her feet. "Are you sure the boy isn't hurt? It was a duel, after all, and no doubt spells were cast from both corners. If the duel was fair, I would expect to see injuries on both sides."

Fendrel Marson shifted his feet, his eyes flicking in Salazar's direction. "I – no, ma'am," he admitted. "I – I wasn't hurt."

"How strange," Helga said in a tone that suggested she didn't find it strange at all. "Then escort him to your office, Godric."

Godric nodded and departed, leaving Rowena and Helga to administer potions and murmur potential healing spells. Salazar lingered in the shadows.

At last, after half an hour of working frantically, Rowena stepped back. "I'm certain she'll be fine, Helga. We've stopped the bleeding, at least. As for what the curse is..." She shot a glance in Salazar's direction. "...I cannot say, but I will search through my books tomorrow. Good night, both of you."

Helga smiled wearily, but remained sitting beside her student even though the danger had passed. She almost forgot Salazar, who stood watching her from the corner. "You must be tired," he said, making her jolt in her seat.

"No."

"Come now, Helga," he insisted. "I'm sure you – "

"I'm _not."_ Her exclamation was so sudden, so fierce and so uncharacteristic that Salazar froze. "Regardless, I will be strong for my student, and I would appreciate it if you would leave us alone." She turned her back on him. "You should go to Godric's office. He'll be getting impatient. There are only a couple of hours until dawn and you still need to deal with your student."

Salazar, however, did not move. The anger that laced her voice in turn angered him. "I remained here for a reason," he admitted. "I needed to speak to you alone."

A sharp, scratching pain had worked its way into Helga's throat, pressing on her windpipe until she hardly dared to speak. Those were the words she had longed to hear from Salazar. On the empty, dragging evenings, spent alone in her quarters, those were the words she had dreamed of. Sometimes she saw flashes of the man she hoped he could be, the man she so desperately wanted him to be. She had prayed he could admit that he, too, longed for her closeness and felt that moments during Potions lessons were not enough. _I needed to speak to you._

_I needed you. I _need _you. _

They were the right words, but spoken in the wrong moment. Perhaps there would never be a 'right moment.'

"Salazar," she said. "I know before you open your mouth, what you're going to say. I know you will try to defend yourself and I know you'll be lying. So why bother? Go to your student."

Salazar's mouth twisted into a sneer. "Arrogance, Helga? It does not flatter you, nor does it suit you."

She was shaking as she got to her feet and faced him. "It's not arrogance, Salazar, merely honesty – something I know you would never understand. You're lying to me; to all of us!"

For the first time, his mask slipped. He laughed, but said nothing.

Helga bristled with annoyance. "I know you taught that curse," she hissed. "I know what you preach in your Common Room. This girl is _muggle-born_ and you dare to suggest this was a coincidence? You may be able to read minds, Salazar, but I don't need to, to see the truth." She exhaled forcefully, her voice dropping low. "What matters is that if you continue on this path of destruction, then it's the beginning of the end. Hogwarts will be finished."

His eyes darkened, threatening a storm. She didn't see him move, but suddenly his hands were gripping her arms, fingers tightening painfully. "How _dare_ you," he snarled, shaking her so violently that her jaw rattled and the room span. "How, Helga, could you even think that I would jeopardise Hogwarts and all we've worked for? One boy, one misguided boy, makes a mistake and you would gladly see me accused."

With effort, Helga ripped herself free of him. She stumbled backwards, closing her eyes tightly until the world stilled. Physically she felt steady; mentally she sensed that the world was slipping away beneath her feet. "Go, Salazar," she said, slowly taking her wand from her pocket. She did not brandish it or instigate a duel, but rather she held it meaningfully at her side. "Go. Please."

That soft, sad plea turned out to be his undoing. Salazar opened his mouth twice, struggling. He couldn't speak, couldn't explain himself. The fire coursing through him seemed to have melted into nothingness and, resigned, he turned away. As soon as the Hospital Wing door closed, Helga collapsed back into her seat. She expected to cry, but numbness and exhaustion overrode her emotions.

She put her wand back in her pocket, knowing in her heart that it wouldn't be the last time the founders turned their wands on each other.

* * *

_AN: Thanks for reading and please review, if you can! I'd love to hear from you. :)_


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